With anticipation building for Super Bowl LX, the energy across the Bay Area has been nothing short of electric—and on Friday, it reached a fever pitch with the convergence of art, style, and sports. In celebration of the second-annual GQ Bowl, guests gathered in San Francisco’s storied Legion of Honor museum, ready to watch Thom Browne unveil his Fall 2026 collection ahead of Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Attendees, including Teyana Taylor and her two adorable daughters, arrived to sweeping views of the skyline, the Golden Gate bridge gleaning in the background, and made their way through the museum’s neoclassical colonnade and into the grand interior, where architectural gravitas meets centuries-spanning artworks. Outfitted in a custom charcoal suit by Thom Browne, GQ’s global editorial director Will Welch was greeting friends who’d flocked from all over the country. “San Francisco is such a beautiful city,” Welch told Vogue “It was a dream for the second year of GQ Bowl to have Thom as our partner. Thom is such a sophisticated designer and he puts on runway shows that feel like theater.”
The excitement heightened as guests huddled amongst the museum’s expansive Rodin collection for a cocktail hour before the show. Faces from the worlds of music, sports, and film—including Heated Rivalry’s François Arnaud, gymnast Sunisa Lee, Industry’s Myha’la, Diplo, K-Pop star Joshua Hong, and Queen Latifah—took their seats front row as the lights dimmed under the museum’s dramatic arched ceilings.
“The Bay Area has always had such an energy. There’s constantly something new surfacing here. I love being here,” Queen Latifah shared. “Thom Browne’s work feels right at home in a place like this; it’s a perfect backdrop for his creativity.” Olympic medalist Lee echoed the excitement: “Thom’s work is so classic and I’m looking forward to seeing all of the new pieces, fabrics, and different textures.”
The show—which was also live-streamed on GQ’s YouTube channel—opened with model Vinnie Hacker and actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II taking their seats at a modernist desk positioned beneath Rodin’s The Three Shades, setting a studied, ceremonial tone. Abdul-Matten II’s voice soon filled the room, as he read lines from Dante’s Inferno.
The 63-look collection showcased Browne’s signature tailoring, punctuated by unexpected athletic references (including custom Bose headphones), sharply-structured suiting and outerwear, and layered knit pieces, with runway appearances by sports stars including Marcus Allen, Justin Jefferson, and DeAndre Hopkins.
“Sport is so important to me; athletes are one of my biggest inspirations,” an elated Browne told Vogue post-show. “Being at the Legion of Honor—home to the second-most significant Rodin collection in the world—I wanted to approach the space with real respect. It was an honor to present here. The collection was inspired by Dante’s Inferno which is a serendipitous connection, as the Rodin sculpture at the center of the show was also inspired by Dante’s work.”
Shortly after the runway finale, guests spilled back into the museum’s courtyard—passing a wall of hand-selected vintage jerseys which has been sourced on eBay—ready to settle into the after-party. DJ Kitty Ca$h soundtracked the scene from a booth perched alongside Rodin’s The Thinker, while a wave of dancers—decked out in Thom Browne, of course—moved to NuevaYol in a nod to Bad Bunny’s upcoming half-time performance. Afterwards, trays of mouth-watering fried chicken from Raising Cane’s awaited as a fitting close to a touchdown of a night.
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